Canopy for boats



No. 6l7,57l. Patented 'lan.'|0,"l899.j I

4.1:. HARLOW.

CANOPY FOB BO'ATS.

(Application filed Max. 30, 189 8.)

(llu llouifiil 1 A TTORNE THE cams vz-rzns co.. Puomuwa. WASHINGTON. a. c.

NITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OANFIELD IIABLOXV, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

CANOPY FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,571, dated January'lO, 1899.

- Application filed March 30, 1898. Serial No. 675,700. (No model.)

To ctZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN OANFIELD HAR- LOW, of Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Canopy for Boats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to construct a canopy for small boats in a simple, durable, and economic manner and to employ but two stanchions forsu pportin g the canopy, one forward and the other at the stern.

A further object of the invention is to provide for shedding water from the canopy when it is in use and a means whereby the canopy may be secured at any desired distance above the deck or brought to and secured close to the cockpit, protecting the same when the boat is laid up or when it is desired to sleep in the cockpit.

Anotherobject of the invention is to so construct the canopy that a half-section at either side may be raised, enabling a person to enter or to leave the boat as readily as though the canopy were not present.

A further object of the invention is to provide for folding the canopy, lowering the same when folded, and securing said canopy in its folded condition upon the rail of the boat near the cockpit and also to so construct the canopy and its supports that the canopy may be readily and expeditiously manipulated by a single individual.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding. parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of a boat and the improved canopy applied, the canopy being raised at one side. Fig. 2 is an end view of the canopy and a section through the boat, illustrating the manner in which the stanchions are removably secured to the boat. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the frame of the canopy, showing one of the side irons raised, the several parts of the frame being also shown in section; and Fig. at is a plan view of a portion of the boat and a portion of the canopy folded and secured upon the rail of the boat.

A represents a boat provided with a cockpit B, the cockpit having the usual combing C, and upon the rail of the boat, near the combing,brackets 10 are secured, the brackets being preferably placed one near each end of the combing, the brackets being adapted to securely hold on the rail a portion of the folded canopy. lwo stanchions 11 and 12 are employed as supports for the canopy, one stanchion being located forward of the cockpit and the other stanchion aft of the cockpit. These stanchions are detachably attached to the hull of the boat and may be secured in any suitable or approved manner. Preferably, however,they are attached as illustrated I in Fig. 2, in which it will be observed that the lower end of a stanchion is screwed or otherwise secured in a foot-plate 13, which footplate is secured to the keel-section 14 of the boat.

In the construction of the frame of the canopy two end blocks D are employed. Each end block is provided with a transverse slot 15, produced inits upper edge, and with a sleeve 16 at the central portion of its outer face, the sleeve being preferably an integral portion of the block. The sleeve 16 of the frame-block receives a set-screw 17, and an extension 18 is formed at the central portion of the inner face of the frame-block, which extension is in the nature of a channel-iron, the open longitudinal portion of which faces inward, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The extension 18 of a frame-block is provided, preferably, with two or more apertures 19, adapted to receive a spring-key 20. The ridge-pole 20 of the canopy is entered at its ends into the extensions 18 of the frame-blocks, and the spring-keys 20 are passed through the ends of the ridge-pole and through apertures in the said extensions. By reason of the ridgepole being adjustable vertically any desired pitch may be given to the canopy, insuring the shedding of rain and effectually preventing water settling on the canopy.

In addition to the end blocks D the frame comprises two side irons E and E. Each side iron consists of a main section 21, curved to correspond to the curvature of the cookpit, and straight end sections 23, which are secured to the main sections 2 1 by suitable couplings 22. The ends of the straight sections 23 of the side irons are pivoted in the slotted portions 15 of the end blocks, as shown in Fig. 2, and each of the side irons may be raised or lowered independently. The canvas 24: is attached to the side irons in any suitable or approved manner and is left open at the ends, so as to clear the end blocks D of the frame, as is likewise shown in Fig. 2.

hen the canopy has been carried upward with the stanchions 11 and 12, said stanchions having been passed through the sleeves 16 of the end blocks, the canopy is held in its adjusted position by means of the set-screws 17.

\Vhen a person desires to leave or to enter the boat having the improved canopy at tached, it is simply necessary to raise the side of the canopy at that side of the boat where the exit or the entrance is to be effected and the person can leave the boator enter it as easily as if the canopy were not employed.

After the boat has received its complement of passengers the canopy is prevented from being blown upward-by a head wind, for example-by means of guy-ropes or straps 25, which are attached to the rail of the boat near its longitudinal center, the guys being provided with clips or like fastening devices to engage with rings 26, attached to the canopy. \Vhen the canopy is lowered close over the cockpit, it may be held in such position by attaching guys to the rings 26, which guys are secured within the cockpit.

When it is desired to lower the canopy 01' take it out of the way entirely, the ridge pole 20 is disconnected from the end blocks D of the frame and is placed in the brackets 10, as shown in Fig. 4. One side iron is then folded over upon the other and the canvas looped around both irons and tied. The setscrews 17 are then loosened and the end blocks D of the frame are permitted to drop downward until the folded canopy lies upon the deck-rail close to the ridge-pole. The folded canopy is prevented from slipping from its consisting of end blocks, each end block being provided with a sleeve carrying a setscrew, and with an extension beyond the upper edge, side irons pivotally attached to the end blocks, and a ridge-pole attached to the extensions of the end blocks, for the purpose set forth.

2. A canopy consisting of a cover of a flexible material and a frame for the said cover, the frame consisting of end blocks,each block being provided with a sleeve carrying a set screw, a channeled extension-section projecting beyond the upper edge of the block at the side opposite that carrying the sleeve, each end block being further provided with a slot in its upper surface between the sleeve and extension, side irons pivoted in the slotted portion of the end blocks, and a ridge-.

pole adjustably and removably attached to the channeled extensions of the said end blocks, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a canopy for boats, the combination, with stanchions, of end blocks provided with sleeves carrying set-screws, the sleeves being adapted to receive the stanchions, each end block being provided with a channeled extension upon its inner face, the channeled extensions projecting beyond the upper surfaces of the said end blocks, each end block being further provided with a slot in its upper surface between the sleeve and the extension of the block, side irons pivoted in the slotted portions of the end blocks, a ridge-pole adjustably and removably attached to the extensions of the end blocks, and a cover secured to the side irons and extending over the ridge-pole, for the purpose specified.

at. A canopy having stanchions, an end block adjustably mounted on each stanchion, a ridge-pole removably held by and extending between the end blocks, and two bowed side bars the ends of which are respectively pivoted to the end blocks, such side bars being capable of swinging, the one over into close proximity with the other to permit folding the canopy-frame.

5. A canopy having two stanchions, an end block mounted 011 each stanchion, each end block having an extension and a transverse slot, a ridge-pole removably held by and extending between the extensions, and bowed side bars the ends of which are respectively pivoted in the slots of the blocks, the side bars being capable of swinging, the one over into immediate proximity with the other to permit folding the canopy.

JOHN OANFIELD IIARLOVV.

Vitnesses:

MAE V. SULLIVAN, HORACE MoELnR'v. 

